On August 31 last year, Japan were heading into a must-win clash against Australia in the final round of Asian World Cup qualifiers.

Eyebrows were raised around Saitama Stadium when the line-ups were announced and none of Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Okazaki were in the starting eleven.

Defeat here and the Samurai Blue would have to win away to Saudi Arabia in their final game to be sure of a place at their sixth straight finals.

Manager Vahid Halilhodzic’s selection was bold to say the least.

While the tension was palpable in the stands, however, Yosuke Ideguchi was perfectly at ease out on the pitch.

The Gamba Osaka midfielder had only turned 21 eight days previously, but the 2016 J.League Young Player of the Year put in a faultless display in the centre of the park, hassling and harrying the Socceroos over every blade of grass and then slamming home an unstoppable drive in the 82 minute to wrap up a 2-0 win and send his side to Russia.

Yosuke Ideguchi was snapped up by Leeds in the January window (Image: Getty)

Post match, too, the hero of the hour took everything in his stride.

“I was given the opportunity to start on such a big stage and feel that I went into the game with a feeling of making sure I left a positive result,” he told the AFC.com, before brushing off any suggestion of feeling pressure to deliver after being given his chance ahead of some of the nation’s biggest names.

“No, no, that wasn’t the case at all. It’s very important for the team as a whole that pressure is applied to the senior players from below.”

The Fukuoka native demonstrated similar bullishness in December as a domestic Japan selection prepared for the East Asian Championship in Tokyo.

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With Halilhodzic not able to call up any of his Europe-based players for the four-team competition Ideguchi was one of very few national team regulars to be included in the 23-man squad, but seemed bemused when asked if he felt any extra sense of responsibility as a result.

“I just want to make sure I put into practice all the things demanded of me [by the coach], and the best thing I can do is also add my own rhythm to the side on top of that to produce positive results,” he said.

Ideguchi played only 109 minutes on loan at Leonesa

“I’ve been given all different kinds of experience this year, which I think has enabled me to build my confidence, and because of all those experiences I feel like I have grown as a player.”

Talk of the absence of Japan’s European contingent inevitably led to questions about Ideguchi’s rumoured move to England. Here, too, he refused to adhere to the norm by avoiding the question, instead replying frankly that he was very much inclined towards making the step up.

“If you’re talking about looking ahead to the future then if I go I will be able to experience a lot of new things and be in a place where I’m able to improve even more,” he said. “Thinking about the future then I’d like to go sooner rather than later.”

Yosuke Ideguchi has 12 caps for Japan (Image: Getty)

It was then put to him that it could be a risk to move ahead of the World Cup, and that any such transfer could affect his place in the national team set-up. Again he was unperturbed in his response.

“That's what people would give as their opinion, but I think it’s best if you can stick to what you've thought of yourself,” he said.

It seemed clear at that point that something was already in the pipeline, and sure enough, he completed his move to Leeds United in January.

The 21-year-old missed out on the World Cup

Japan would go on to finish the year being pipped to the silverware by South Korea, despite a 93rd minute winner from Ideguchi in their earlier group game against North Korea.

Here again he was making good on a pledge from ahead of the game.

“We’ve talked in meetings about how the midfielders’ job also requires them to take shots and get in amongst the goals, and so I will do my best to deliver on that front,” he had said two days before driving home his side’s dramatic late winner from the edge of the area.

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His steadily-growing importance for the national team and fact he made the J.League’s Best Eleven for 2017 despite Gamba finishing a disappointing 10 in the 18-team table demonstrate Ideguchi’s potential.

The biggest endorsement, though, perhaps comes from his club teammate and Japan’s record cap holder, Yasuhito Endo.

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In March 2016, as Ideguchi started to establish himself in Gamba’s first team, Endo was asked how he rated the latest player to emerge as a possible successor to his throne at the heart of Japan’s midfield.

“He’s a strong and aggressive player,” he said. “He’s aiming to move to Europe and his play style is similar style to that of Hotaru Yamaguchi (of Cerezo Osaka). He’s a good player, and in a year or two I think he’ll be ready.”

Ideguchi did indeed end up Europe-bound and despite the early challenges he is facing during a frustrating loan spell at Cultural Leonesa, Leeds will be hoping that his obvious pedigree and earlier comments that point to a level-headed, strong-minded individual, mean that this is just a bump in the road.